The Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit just released their fourth album Ruins. I already told you (six years ago!) how wonderful I believe the music of the two sisters sounds. These days, I seldom listen to whole albums anymore – I prefer my own playlists with the distinct songs I currently like. Ruins is the big exception – I listen to it from the first song until the last and I like them all. And by the way: The two videos below are also beautiful to watch!

Wow, the first week of the year 2018 is already over. We spent the first days of it in the (at least at two days) snowy mountains of the Harz and had a very relaxed start. Now it’s time to work again. But hey, let’s begin the daily routine with some French chanson á la Edith Piaf. …I love the rough big voice of this little lady who clearly is one of my musical heroines.

And yes, Udo also paints and there’s even a musical. But there is one thing that really impresses me: This man is more than 70 years old and he rocks the stage heavier than any 20 year old I know.

I saw him at the Frankfurt book fair two weeks ago, where he presented his and Tine Acke’s book Stärker als die Zeit. It was hilarious to see this big entertainer on a stage, surrounded by suit-wearing bookish people …and in the end, everyone was moving to his unmistakable voice.

A song that’s an attitude of life: Si jamais j’oublie by French singer-songwriter (and everybody’s darling) ZAZ. It’s from her 2015 live album Sur la route. The message of the song is simple and important: Never forget where you come from and all those wonderful experiences that created yourself, your dreams and your personality. A perfect mood-lifter for rainy late-summer days!

Arcade Fire concert on July 2, 2017 in Berlin.Pic by Franzi. See more on Instagram.

Arcade Fire’s new album Everything Now will be released on July 28, 2017. At the beginning of the month, me and two of my best pals were at the Arcade Fire concert in Berlin. It was a big party, where they not only played their old indie-rock hits but also some of their new tracks. If you never saw this band live, you definitely should put this onto you bucket list. They are incredibly powerful on stage and are creating a wonderful atmosphere in the audience. The few new songs, that I already listened to, only intensified my anticipation of the album.